Barcelona Vote Supports Vegans, Vegetarians

On Tuesday, March 22, officials in Barcelona’s economic commission held a vote for the city to become “a friend of vegan and vegetarian culture.” The motion, put forth by the Catalan Republican Left, received support from Barcelona en Comú group currently in power, the Catalan Socialists, the Convergència party, and the leftist CUP. Two other parties, The Popular Party and Ciudadanos declined to vote.

This new initiative plans to support vegetarian and vegan commerce in the city by compiling and publishing a list of vegan and vegetarian stores and eateries. Spanish media outlet El Pais reported that the proposal also includes an adherence to the so-called “Meat-free Mondays,” which refers to the campaign of the same name launched by Paul McCartney and his family. However, there has been no mention of how, or if, this will be enforced.

Barcelona also ended the tradition of bullfighting back in 2011, after over 600 years of history, reflecting the changing views of its populace.